Waipā District Council
Territorial authority of New Zealand
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Waipā District Council (abbr. WDC) is the territorial authority for the Waipā District of New Zealand. It serves as the district's local government alongside the Waikato Regional Council as the regional council. The current entity has existed since 1989, prior to which local government in the area was split between six local authorities.
- Waipa County Council
- Waikato County Council
- Raglan County Council
- Matamata County Council
- Cambridge Borough Council
- Te Awamutu Borough Council
Waipā District Council | |
|---|---|
 Brand logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Established | 1 November 1989; 36 years ago |
| Preceded by |
|
New session started | 17 October 2025 |
| Leadership | |
Deputy | Jo Davies-Colley, Ind. since 31 October 2025 |
Steph O'Sullivan since 26 August 2024 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 14 (including mayor) |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 3 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
First election | 14 October 1989 |
Last election | 11 October 2025 |
Next election | 14 October 2028 |
| Meeting place | |
| 101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu | |
| Website | |
| waipadc | |
The governing body of the council has 13 councillors and is chaired by the mayor of Waipā (currently Mike Pettit since October 2025). There also two community boards.
History
1989 reforms
The council was established in 1989, through the merger of Waipa County Council,[2] Cambridge Borough Council (established in 1886),[3] and Te Awamutu Borough Council (established in 1915).[4]
Governing body
Mayor
One mayor is elected at-large; they chair meetings of the governing body and act as the head of local government in the district. The current mayor is Mike Pettit, who was elected in the 2025 local elections.[5][6]
Current composition
The current members of the governing body of council are:[7][8]
| Role | Name | Affiliation | Ward | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Mike Pettit | Independent | Elected at-large | |
| Deputy | Jo Davies-Colley | Independent | Cambridge | |
| Councillor | Roger Gordon | Independent | Cambridge | |
| Councillor | Aidhean Camson | Independent | Cambridge | |
| Councillor | Pip Kempthorne | Independent | Cambridge | |
| Councillor | Mike Montgomerie | Independent | Maungatautari | |
| Councillor | Clare St Pierre | Independent | Pirongia and Kakepuku | |
| Councillor | Les Bennett | Better Waipa | Pirongia and Kakepuku | |
| Councillor | Shane Walsh | Independent | Te Awamutu and Kihikihi | |
| Councillor | Dean Taylor | Independent | Te Awamutu and Kihikihi | |
| Councillor | Marcus Gower | Independent | Te Awamutu and Kihikihi | |
| Councillor | Dale-Maree Morgan | Independent | Waipā Māori | |
Community boards
The Waipā District Council currently has two community boards:[9][10]
- Cambridge Community Board: Charlotte FitzPatrick (Chair), Gerda Venter, Chris Minneé, Stewart Dromgool, Andrew Myers
- Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board: Ange Holt (Chair), Liam Bullen, Jill Taylor, John Wood, Kane Titchener
Wards
Councillors are elected from across five wards; One councillor is returned from the Waipā Māori ward, which covers the entire district, four from Cambridge general ward, three from Te Awamutu-Kihikihi general ward, two from Pirongia-Kakepuku general ward, and one from Maungatautari general ward.[9]
The council established a Māori ward in 2021, with the first Māori ward councillor elected in the 2022 local elections.